Teddi Mellencamp filed for divorce after ‘years of pain’ with husband Edwin as Kyle Richards ‘gave her strength to walk’

TEDDI Mellencamp has filed for divorce from husband Edwin Arroyave after ‘years of pain’, a source exclusively told The U.S. Sun.  

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum found the power to end the marriage after “being inspired” by her best friend, Kyle Richards, who left husband Mauricio Umansky last year.

This week, Teddi, 43, announced in a shocking Instagram post that her marriage of 13 years had come to an end. 

While she didn’t open up on details as to what led to the demise of her relationship with Edwin, 47, an insider told The U.S. Sun that it was “100% Teddi’s decision to pull the trigger.”

“It was not just one thing that led to it, she would never leave the father of her children over a single thing. 

“It took a long time, a really long time and a lot of pain for years for her to decide that this is what was best for her and the kids.”

Edwin and Teddi, who got married in 2011, share daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, 4, as well as son Cruz, 10. 

As for what led to the surprising decision, the insider claimed there were serious issues in their past that Teddi “had to work through” – but did so as she “felt it was best for her family to forgive and move on.”

“She went on a long journey to forgive and trust again. The first year she was on [RHOBH], she was secretly fighting a lot of trauma no one except maybe Kyle knew about.

“But again, wanted to keep her family together so they worked through it privately.”

The source said that Kyle, 55, was a “huge support” for Teddi at the time – especially as she could “relate” to what she was going through. 

“She kept her secrets and didn’t expose it for the cameras. Teddi really confided in Kyle and they built that sister-like trust. 

“I think once Kyle left Mauricio and got that empowered independence, it helped Teddi see the light of being like ‘oh, I can make these decisions no matter my age, even if I have kids, and it will still be okay.’ 

“So really, Kyle was the catalyst of Teddi finding the power to leave a situation that no longer suited her. And Kyle has been a rock for Teddi throughout this and is helping her navigate this new life.”

In 2023, RHOBH veteran Kyle announced she was separating from her husband of 27 years, Mauricio, 54 – though they are not yet divorced. 

The reality show documented Kyle’s journey to becoming more independent, outspoken and carefree after also dealing with years of infidelity rumors throughout her own marriage. 

Despite the tough breakup, Edwin and Teddi are both “being as amicable as possible for now.”

“The fact it was a long time coming and not some shocker helped with the transition process. It sounds cliche but they really are just focused on the kids right now and making this as stress-free as possible for them. 

“No one has moved out of the house yet, they’re still under one roof and figuring out a path forward.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Teddi and Edwin for comment. 

‘PUSHING THROUGH’

Both Teddi and Edwin have continued sharing videos on social media inside their shared Los Angeles mansion and being with their kids together. 

Although Teddi appears to be in good spirits and smiling in her posts, she also isn’t hiding the pain she’s still processing. 

In a video on Wednesday of her working out on a treadmill in a pink sports bra and matching yoga pants, she wrote: “The beauty of a run is it may start in tears but will end in a sprint if you push through.”

That same day, Edwin was photographed running errands in LA looking distressed – and noticeably not wearing his wedding band. 

Just four days earlier, Teddi shared the bombshell news on her Instagram – leaving Bravo fans speechless.

“After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce.

“My priority is my children and ensuring that every care is taken with their privacy and wellbeing throughout this new chapter.

“Making a public statement is not something I wanted to do but in an effort to protect my family from undue speculation and rumors, I felt being open, honest and vulnerable was the best path forward.”

Teddi had hinted at Edwin’s infidelity in the past – admitting on an October 2023 episode of her Two T’s podcast that things were once so bad with her husband, she couldn’t even look at him.

“For years, I had so much resentment towards Edwin and it was to the point where I couldn’t even look at him. Once you’ve been burned, it’s hard to come back from that,” she told co-host Tamra Judge. 

When RHOC star Tamra pushed that Teddi was confessing to Edwin cheating on her, she stayed more vague: “Let me just say, you get more controlling and more guarded when your family is involved.”

On a past episode of WWHL when talking about Mauricio being pictured with other women, Teddi also hinted at Edwin’s past transgressions.

“My first season [of RHOBH] I was hiding something with Edwin and I 99% thought that our marriage wasn’t going to make it,” she told host Andy Cohen.